Many activities pose serious health risks to the participants. These health risks are also present when practicing or drilling for these activities. For example, a major concern facing football players today is the risk of concussive head injuries, which can lead to a variety of dangerous medical conditions. In order to reduce the occurrence of these types of injuries, teams/organizations are limiting contact during practices. In place of tackling each other during practice, most teams now use tackling drills which simplify tackling and break it into multiple steps which can be safely practiced. Limiting contact has been successful at reducing injuries during practice or drilling, but it has left no way for players or participants to practice realistic or relevant scenarios.
As an example of such limited contact, in football, current drills focus on pursuing a player and not finishing the tackle to the ground, or using a padded target, known as a tackling dummy, instead of a live player. Tackling dummies are used by almost all football teams but do not simulate a realistic tackle because they are static objects whereas an opposing player moves dynamically. There are some products on the market today that attempt to mobilize the tackling dummy; however, none of them accurately simulate the motion of a live player.
Although various methods to provide for increased safety in football and other activities have been attempted, known devices have not effectively protected athletes or participants while simulating the motion of a live person. In order to prevent injuries while allowing players or participants to practice various movements without person-to-person contact or interaction, individuals, organization and sports teams are in need of a dynamic and mobile device which replicates or simulates human motion as realistically as possible.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a device or system which safely allows players or participants to practice proper form and procedure in realistic and relevant scenarios. It would also be beneficial to provide a device or system which is a safer alternative to live play or motion and which increases participant safety and reduces the incidence of injuries while at the same time reinforcing proper form and procedure. It would also be beneficial to provide a device or system which increases training efficacy by allowing trainers more complete control over the motion of elements in the training environment.